Seas under threat - Act now to save our sea life

Sea life in danger, please sign our petition now!

The long-awaited network of Marine Protected Areas, promised by Government for the end of 2012, is at risk.  Dorset Wildlife Trust ­ with your support ­ has been campaigning for marine wildlife protection and gathering vital environmental data to ensure the network is adequate and representative, but we are now concerned that only a fraction of the proposed sites will be designated, leaving vulnerable areas unprotected and failing to deliver an effective network.

Promise of protected sites

After years of campaigning and with huge public support, the Marine and Coastal Access Act of 2009 promised a coherent network of protected sites around the coasts by 2012.  Now 127 marine sites around England’s coast, including eight in Dorset, have been recommended to become marine conservation zones next year, following lengthy evidence gathering and extensive consultation with various groups including fishermen, conservationists and businesses.

Many sites may not make it to designation

A huge amount of work has been done to get a broad agreement on this network of sites - needed for the health and future productivity of our marine environment.  Now  in the final stages there are worrying signs that as few as 30 out of the 127 sites will make it to designation - in contradiction to the aims of the new Marine Act.  This will not create a network and would undermine all the hard work done so far.

Please take action - Sign Petition Fish!

With Wildlife Trusts around the country, we are lobbying hard for the successful completion of a process that will bring back Living Seas.  Please show the Government your support by signing our Petition Fish online and writing to your MP asking for government to support healthy seas off Dorset  by creating the proposed network of all 127 sites in England. This is a once in a lifetime chance.  We can’t afford to let it slip away.

Take action today - please sign our online Petition Fish

Kelp and seaweeds meadow by Peter Tinsley

Large ross coral colony by Peter Tinsley

Proposed sites in Dorset

The 8 recommended marine conservation zones in Dorset are:  Broad Bench to Kimmeridge Bay, Chesil Beach & Stennis Ledges, The Fleet, Poole Rocks, South of Portland, South-east of Portland Bill,  Studland Bay and South Dorset ­ click on the map below to see some of their amazing wildlife.